Allegro con spirito

As Printed on a Score

Printed above the staff as a movement heading; it governs until the next tempo word. The opening may carry its own expressive direction, such as sotto voce, under the heading.

How Composers Use It

Fast with spirit — lively, buoyant, high-spirited — leaning toward joy rather than fury (compare con fuoco). The spirit is in the rhythm and lift of the music, so a movement under this heading can begin quietly and let its exuberance build. Let the opening dynamics and articulation set the tone, and save the full weight of the orchestra for later.

Example

Brahms, Symphony No. 2, fourth movement, m. 1: “Allegro con spirito”, with the strings marked sotto voce.

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